Automatic control mechanism for valves



March l0.v 1925. i

E.l MULLER AUTOIA'IG :CONTROL MECHANISM FOR VALVES Filed Sept. 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l A TTORNEY.

March 1o. 1925. l 1,529,140

E. MULLER AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEGHANISM FOR VALVES Filed Sept. 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Irfan/vins'.

Patented Mar. 10, 1925. I

UNIT-ED STATE-S EDWARD MULLER, or 'NORTH fBERen'N, new Jens-EY.

AUTOMATIC Contact MECHANI'SM son VALVES.

Application 'mea vspteirnber To all whom t mayfconcern: A

Be it known that I, EDWARD IMULLER, a citizen ot' the United States,'and a resident ofNorth Bergen, in the county o'l' 'Hudson and State of New Jersey7 have invented `new and useful improvements in Automatic Control Mechanism for Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general'to 'automatic control mechanism and more particularly to a. mechanism for maintaining the water orsteam valves of washing machines open until the water in 'said machinesreaches a certain or predetermined level and tautomati'cally closing or allowingsaid valves to close when said level is reached. Y

The primary object of this invention is to provide a control mechanism of the cha-racter described embodying novel and improved features ot construction whereby thev valves are caused to close gradually, thus ensuring` a minimum amount of wear thereof and also preventing hammering or noise in the pipes.

Further objects of the invention are to provide such a mechanism adapted orcontrolling either one or two. valves; to provide a control mechanism yfor ,washing 'machine valves including a pair of levers pivotally mounted intermediate their ends with one end or' each-'adapted to engage the stem of a valve, and a device for oscillating, said levers controlled by a float actuated by the w-ater in the washing` machine whereby both said valves may be operated simultaneously; to utilize in such a 'device 'spring or pressure closed valves and mount said leversl and actuin which like numeralsof'reference indicate the `same parts throughout Tythe several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation 'of fanffauto- "matic valve controlling mechanismembody- 4ing; my invention ;v

Figure 2 is a top plan 4Viewthereof, and Figure 3 yis a `ront'elevation. y l ln "the embodiment of the inventionishown on the drawings, the :referencecharacteis A 2, lesersern No. 556,035.

and B indicate `'spring or pressure closed valves of any suit-able or well-knownconstruction which are provided `with sliding` `stems C and :D byin'eans of which the valves are opened. The valves are provided with the 4respective A"inlet pipes E Qa-nd -F and outlets Gr and Il which are connected by a T- ccnnec'tion I to-an inlet pipe K cfa-reservoir yor tank, such as a 4washingniachin'e. The valve-casings are provided with `exteriorly :threaded necks L 'and M'through which eX- -tend the valve stems() and D, thesaid necks being closed by the bonnets 'or glands N and 0. The construction "so lfar described is "old and well'known,and no claim to novelty lisl'i'iia'de thereon. Y

In accordance with the invention each of 'a pair cf'anglebrackets 1 and fQ-has onearm thereof secured 'to one otfthe valve casings -A and B by means of nuts 3 and 4:. The vother arms of' said brackets ydepend from the valve casings and are (provided with bi-v urca'ted ends 5 'and G in which are pivotally jinc'ninted intermediate their ends `on pivot pins 7 and' :the Irespective valve yactuating ,levers 9 and 10. @ne arm of each 'of said levers is adapted to engage the corresponding valve stem or D, :and the Aother ends 'of the levers are formed with Ethe respective inclinedportions 11 and 1Q 'whichA terminate 'at their lextremities in lnotches'or seats v13 and 14. I w

A bracket member 15 is rigidly mounted inl 'a'ny lsuitable manner between the `levers 9jand '10 and provides a supportf'for a trip member 16 yfor actu'atingth'e said levers. In the present instance said bracket member isl connected tothe `T-'conne'c'tion l and eX- -teiids substantially horizontal 'above -the'levers 9 `and 10, said bracketbeing 'provided at its outer end with 'a-ldepending extension 17 having ta bi'furcated end v18 between the arms of which is pivotally mounted between titser'ids on a'pivot 'pin 19 'the 'trip member '16. At the lower sideof "the ypivot pin 19 'thel trip 'member lispr'ovided with rollers 'Q0 and 21 adaptedto-en'gage therespective levers -9 and l'10, said 'rollersfcooperating v`withtheincli'ned:surfaces 11and-12 of said Vlevers to 'oscillate the same. lThe trip member 16 is .provided at the-side ofthe pivot pin 19 opposite the rollers y20 yand 21,with an farm '22 extending Ainwardly `toward the valves `A fand B, the end offsaid arm v,hav- Iin-g i'a fp'in fandgslot connection with alink 24 iconnected to fa oat'i25 mounted finy a =i0at chamber 26 connected with the reservoir or tank supplied by the pipe K.

When the controlling mechanism is to be used with a washing machine, one of the Avalves A or B controls the supply of cold water to the machine and the other valve the supplyof steam. 1f it is desired to simultaneously supply the water and steam. the rollers of the trip member 16 are caused to engage the inclined portions 11 and'12 of the levers 9 and 10, afterwhich the ,arm`

' 22 is pulled' downwardly thereby causing the vrollers to ride over said inclined surfaces forcing the corresponding ends of the levers downwardly and the otherv ends of the levers upwardly toslide the valve stems C and D and open thevalves. Movement of'the trip member is limited by engage ment of the rollers 20 and 21 with the notches or seats 13 and 14, and preferably the position of the rollers in relation to the pivot pins 19, 7 and 8 is such that the trip member holds the'levers in this position by the vaction of a dead center. The float 25 is then adjusted so ythat the water in the chamber 26, when it reaches a predetermined level, will actuate the float upwardly and oscillate the arm 22 so as'to swing the trip member 16 to remove thev rollers 2() and 21 from the notches 13 and 14. The springs of the valves A; and Bor the pressure of the steam or water on said valvesv then oscillate the levers inthe opposite direction into the position indicated by dotted lines in. Figure 1 and close the valves. The weight of the" levers 9 and 10 and the float 25 and link 24 and the inclination of the inclined portions -11 and 12 of the levers, are such as to partially counterbalance the springs of theL valves or the pressures of the water Aand steam7` so that the closingvof the `valves is slow and gradual. The inclined snrl faces 11 and 12 in connection with the movement of the trip member 16 retard the re` *leasing movement of the levers so thatvthe valvesk are restrained from snapping into v closed position. This action minimizes the' lwear of the valves andvalve seats and also prevents sudden tlirottlingV of the water and Asteam kwhich ordinarily causes hammering and noise in the pipes.

The brackets:v y1 and 2 are preferably rotatable on :the vnecks of the valves A and B so that the levers 9 and 10 may be disengaged from .the rollers 20 and 21. This fean ture of the invention is particularly advan tageous where it is desired to controlonly vone 'of the valves A or B, it being thus possible to actuate either of the levers 9 or 10" y'independently of the other.'

Y For the' purpose of adjusting the. float 25- t0y actuatejthe valves at-various predetermined levels of the water in the washing machin'e,`1 may wform the' link 24- in two sections each provided with a plurality of openings 27 adapted to receive bolts 28 having wing nuts 29 thereon. 'By placing` the bolts 28 in various ones of the openings 27 the sections of the link V24 may be moved .longitudinally of each other to vary the length of said link.

. Vhile Iliave Vshown and described certain details of construction, it will be understood that this is only for the purposek of illustrating the principle of the invention.

and that many modifications and changes can be made in thedetails of construction without departing of the invention.

sire to be understood as limiting myself eX- cept as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

from the spirit or scope Therefore, I do not de`- Having thus described the invention, what. f,

1 claim'is:

1. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a valve casing having `a valve therein, and ymeans for actuating said valve in one direction, of a pair of constantly engaging members movable relatively and Atogether in different directions holding said valve against movement in said direction, one of said members being iniiuenced by said yvalve and the other serving to oppose such influence, the engaging portions of said'inem bers being formed to permit simultaneous movement of said members together and relatively to each other to retard movement of the -first-mentioned member, and means actuated by extraneous force for controlling -said second-mentioned member to release said first-mentioned member and permit .gradual movement of said valve by" its actuating means. l Y

2. In a device of the charactervdescribed, the combination with a valve casing having va valve therein, and `means for actuating said valve in. one direction, of a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends with one endengagingsaid valve to move the latter into position against said actuating means upon movement ofthe lever in one direction a trip member pivotallymountedon a iixed support to swing longitudinally of andv v constantly engage the other end of the said support to swinglongitudinally of and constantly engage the other end of said lever to hold said valve in said position, said lever having a seat to receive said trip member and an inclined surface leading from said seat, and means actuated by extraneous force to swing said trip member from said seat along said inclined surface and permit movement of said lever under the influence of said valve actuating means, cooperation of said inclined surfacer with said trip member serving' to retard movement of said valve.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a valve and means for automatically closing the same, of a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends With one end adapted to engage said valve, the other end of said lever being formed with an inclined surface, a trip member adapted to engage said surface to hold said valve in open position, and means for actuating said trip member along said inclined surface to release said valve and cause it to gradually close.

In a device of the character described, the combination with a valve and means for automatically closing the same, of a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends With one end adapted to engage said valve, the other end of said lever being formed with an inclined surface, a pivotally mounted trip member adapted to engage said surface to hold said valve in open position, and means 'for swinging said trip member to release said valve, cooperation of said trip member and said inclined surface of said lever retarding the closing of said valve by said actuating means.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination With a support having a movable member therein and means for actuating said member in one direction, of two cooperating members vfor temporarily holding said movable member against movement, one of said members ,having an inclined surface engaged by the other to retard movement of said movable member when the same is released.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination With a valve for controlling the flow of a liquid to a receptacle and means for closing said valve, of means including a pair of cooperating members for holding' said valve in open position, one of said members having an inclined surface engaged by the other, and a float arranged on the surface of the liquid in said receptacle land connected to one of said members, said float causing relative movement yof said last-mentioned member and said inclined surface as the level of said liquid rises to permit gradual closing of saidl valve by said closing 11'). e all S EDWARD MULLER. 

